The Charitable Deduction in American Political Thought

On April 16, 2013, the Bradley Center held a different conversation about the charitable deduction in American political thought, one that explored its deepest dimensions as an expression of fundamental American political principles. Two recent essays set the stage wonderfully, and were the “assigned reading;” one, by Alex Reid, entitled “Renegotiating the Charitable Deduction,” and the other by Rob Reich, entitled “Toward a Political Theory of Philanthropy.” In addition to these authors, one of the nation’s foremost scholars of philanthropy, Stanley Katz of Princeton, joined the panel to provide an historical perspective. Hudson Institute Senior Fellow William Schambra moderated the discussion.